InTheBite

  • Home
  • News
    • All News
    • Featured Stories
    • General News
    • Captain of the Year
    • Tournament Results
    • First Builds
    • Splash Reports
    • Old Salts Rule
    • Tackle Tips
    • Dock Talk
    • Crew Records
    • Conservation
  • Tournaments
    • Calendar
    • Captain of the Year
    • Champion’s Cup
  • Shop
    • All Products
    • Subscriptions
    • Back Issues
    • Shirts
    • Hats & Visors
    • Miscellaneous
    • Release Rulers
  • Classifieds
  • Job Board
  • Contact
    • Contact InTheBite
    • InTheBite Media Kit
  • Log in

964-Pound Fish Caught in Cape Verde Islands Wins the 2020 Blue Marlin World Cup

July 6, 2020 By InTheBite Editor

The La Onda Mila team. Photo courtesy World Cup Blue Marlin Championship

Against the backdrop of a global pandemic, 116 teams competed in the 2020 Blue Marlin World Cup Tournament, a one-day event held around the world. Blue marlin weighing more than 500 pounds are the only eligible species and competing teams fish in their respective time zones from 8:30 am to 4:30 pm. Entries are weighed on certified government scales at local marinas.
The first qualifying fish reported to Tournament Director Robert “Fly” Navarro was hooked four minutes into the team’s allowable time frame. Lady Rebecca (Capt. Stephen Brexel), fishing from Boat Harbour in The Bahamas, got on the leaderboard with a 504-.8-pound entry. Although it was later topped, that catch represented a victory for the island nation, which is still recovering from last year’s devastating Hurricane Dorian.
Blue Rampage was the second to record a qualifier with a 545-pound blue landed in Portugal. The boat typically fishes in Madeira, a historic big fish hot spot, but virus travel restrictions forced Capt. Gerhard Drescher and his crew to stay in their home waters.
Previous World Cup Champion and million-dollar winner Done Deal, a 70 Viking run by Capt. Jason Buck, also stayed near home, focusing on the productive central Gulf of Mexico. Capt. Wilks Hammock was in the chair to wind in the boat’s 667.2-pound blue. That fish, which measured 120 inches from the lower jaw to the fork of the tail, was weighed at the Cypress Cove Marina in Venice, Louisiana.
As multiple contestants released smaller blue marlin throughout the day, Navarro got word from several sources that a serious contender had been boated. La Onda Mila was fishing in the Cape Verde Islands for this year’s World Cup. Sam Peters, president of Release Marine, had booked the boat and competed with Capt. Marty Bates previously.
But when Peters couldn’t fly to the islands because of virus restrictions, another local skipper, Olaf Grimkowski, took his place. Grimkowski cranked in a qualifier that measured 142 inches long, with a 70-inch girth and a 19-inch tail measurement. After a three-hour return trip, that fish would tip the scales at 964 pounds to earn the 2020 World Cup title and $464,000. Done Deal would claim the Big Blue Challenge consolation prize of $339,200.
The Tournament entry fee for the World Cup is $5,000 per team. The optional Big Blue Challenge (BBC) is an additional $8,000. There is a winner for the Tournament and the BBC.  If the team with the biggest blue is entered in both categories, they take home all the money in this winner-take-all format. La Onda Mila did not enter the BBC.
The coronavirus created very unique circumstances this year. The travel restrictions impacted several teams. Normally Hawaii and Bermuda are popular World Cup destinations, but this year a number of teams fished closer to home or were not able to enter the Tournament. We had 11 boats competing from Cape May, Ocean City and North Carolina.
The Gulf of Mexico fielded 34 teams, the most of any area worldwide. Although the Tournament expected a big drop in overall participation, the total number of entries was only down 23 percent.  A number of participants expressed their thanks that they were able to maintain some sense of normalcy in their lives by being able to fish the 2020 Blue Marlin World Cup.
All things considered the 2020 World Cup was a resounding success! Due to this success, the Tournament can continue its support of the IGFA and The Billfish Foundation by contributing to their ongoing conservation work.
Next year’s Blue Marlin World Cup will be held July 4, 2021. For more information or to register, please visit: www.bluemarlinworldcup.com

BLUE MARLIN WORLDCUP CHAMPIONSHIP RESULTS

Current Rank Captain Boat Name Location Weight
1 Marty Bates La Onda Mila Cape Verde 964
2 Jason Buck Done Deal Gulf of Mexico 667.2
3 Gerhard Drescher Blue Rampage Portugal 545
4 Stephen Brexel Lady Rebecca Boat Harbor, Bahamas 504.8

The Done Deal team. Photo courtesy World Cup Blue Marlin Championship

BIG BLUE CHALLENGE RESULTS

Current Rank Captain Boat Name Location Weight
1 Jason Buck Done Deal Gulf of Mexico 667.2
2 Gerhard Drescher Blue Rampange Portugal 545
  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Email

Do you have any comments or questions for us? We’d love to hear from you.

    Filed Under: Featured Stories, News, Press Releases, Tournament Results Tagged With: 2020 Blue Marlin World Cup Championship, Blue Marlin World Cup, Jason Buck, la onda mila

    Recent News

    Builder’s Choice Repeats as Marina Casa de Campo Open Champion

    Builder’s Choice, a 64-foot Jarrett Bay, hasn’t fished the Marina Casa de Campo Open for two years, but the team never missed a beat. The boat led the field of 14 boats from the start to win the 2023 Marina Casa de Campo Open, which concluded last wee … [Read More...]

    Mission and Purpose

    By Ken Kreisler “To be or not to be.” While this well-known Shakespearean quote is not associated with the boating experience, if we filter it through our marine sensibilities, it just might be coaxed into reading this way: Walkaround, express or con … [Read More...]

    2023 Chub Cay Classic Won by Following Seas

    Following Seas, a 58-foot Viking run by Capt. Charlie Vanderbeck, claimed top honors at the 2023 Chub Cay Classic billfish tournament. The third annual event was held March 9-11 at the Chub Cay Resort and Marina. Following Seas released a blue and … [Read More...]

    Weathering the Storm

    While nasty conditions offshore are generally unpleasant for anyone on any vessel, offshore fishing on an outboard-powered center console typically means that the captain and crew will be more exposed to the wind and seas than the crew of a larger … [Read More...]

    Massive Sargassum Weed Line Approaches Florida

    If you’ve ever headed offshore in search of dolphin under patches or lines of sargassum weed, you know the weed can be difficult to find at times. That seems to happen every time I fish a dolphin tournament at least! But all that may soon change. … [Read More...]

    Leave a Reply

    Connect With InTheBite

    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Twitter
    • YouTube

    Subscribe to InTheBite Magazine Today!

    InTheBite current cover image

    Our latest issue is hitting the docks now! Be sure to subscribe to the hottest bluewater mag on the market. Purchase or Subscribe »

    InTheBite Champion’s Cup

    InTheBite Champions Cup Logo

    New for 2022, the Champion’s Cup is an optional paid entry with a winner-takes-all prize format for teams who want to up the stakes in each division utilizing our longstanding tournament scoring formula.

    Captain of the Year Cup Standings

    COTY / ITB Cup Logo

    News

    • Builder’s Choice Repeats as Marina Casa de Campo Open Champion

      Builder’s Choice Repeats as Marina Casa de Campo Open Champion

      Builder’s Choice, a 64-foot Jarrett Bay, hasn’t fished the Marina Casa de Campo Open for two years, but the team never missed a beat. The boat led the field of 14 boats from the start to win the 2023 Marina Casa de Campo Open, which concluded last weekend in the Dominican Republic. With Capt. Brent Gaskill at the helm, the... [Read More...]

    • 2023 Chub Cay Classic Won by Following Seas

      2023 Chub Cay Classic Won by Following Seas

      Following Seas, a 58-foot Viking run by Capt. Charlie Vanderbeck, claimed top honors at the 2023 Chub Cay Classic billfish tournament. The third annual event was held March 9-11 at the Chub Cay Resort and Marina. Following Seas released a blue and white marlin to earn 700 points to top the field. Under the all-billfish release format, blue marlin scored... [Read More...]

    • Massive Sargassum Weed Line Approaches Florida

      Massive Sargassum Weed Line Approaches Florida

      If you’ve ever headed offshore in search of dolphin under patches or lines of sargassum weed, you know the weed can be difficult to find at times. That seems to happen every time I fish a dolphin tournament at least! But all that may soon change. Sargassum, an algae that’s commonly mislabeled as a “weed,” is headed toward the U.S.... [Read More...]

    • InTheBite Hires Industry Veteran John Brownlee as Editor-in-Chief

      InTheBite Hires Industry Veteran John Brownlee as Editor-in-Chief

      Dale Wills, Founder and President of InTheBite, has announced the hiring of marine industry veteran, John Brownlee, as ITB’s new Editor-in-Chief. “Under Brownlee’s leadership in editorial and digital media, his intelligent perspectives and vast industry knowledge will move the brand forward with his long list of proven skill sets,” Wills said. “It’s only fitting as we move past our 20th... [Read More...]

    • Proposed 10-Knot Restrictions

      Proposed 10-Knot Restrictions

      It’s Not Over! The Viking Yacht Company and the marine industry’s grassroots campaign to stop the advancement of a proposed 10-knot restriction along the Eastern Seaboard continues into 2023. And now, thanks to the National Marine Manufacturers Association (NMMA), we have a tool at our disposal that makes it super easy to make your voice heard. In one click, send a pre-written letter... [Read More...]

    Search InTheBite

    Copyright © 2023 InTheBite, LLC · All Rights Reserved.